Kayaking and Canoeing
Wake County
Family-owned Neuse River Outfitters in Wake Forest provides kayak rentals, fishing lessons and relaxing guided trips down the Neuse River.
Bond Park Boathouse in Cary rents pedal boats, kayaks, sailboats, canoes, rowboats – plus sailing, kayaking and canoeing lessons – and life jackets to take out on Bond Lake.
Durham County
Explore canoeing and kayaking with Frog Hollow Outdoors, which offers instructional classes, self-guided trips, private group adventures, summer camps and more.
Chatham County
Explore a scenic route on the Deep River with Cape Fear River Adventures on a self-guided kayaking, canoeing or tubing trip, which typically begin at Deep River Park in Bear Creek and end by Camelback Bridge.
Triangle-Wide
Entirely women-owned and -operated, Two Sisters Adventure Company offers small group and outdoor adventures including guided trips, summer camps and classes for various skill levels in a welcoming space.
The 1,200-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail extends from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks and features a 78.6-mile segment from the Eno River State Park to the Falls Lake Dam. The trail travels alongside the Eno River, dips into Durham and Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve, and follows the southern part of the reservoir before ending just outside of Raleigh. Above, Nashua Oraby, Hussein El-Genk and their four children, Ayyub, Zakariyya, Kareema and Rasheed, hike at West Point on the Eno city park in Durham, which contains a stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Hiking Trails
North Carolina is the Great Trails State, and the NC General Assembly NC designated 2023 as NC Year of the Trail, an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition to celebrate our vast network of trails, greenways and blueways, which showcase our diverse landscapes. Enjoy quiet rivers, vibrant urban greenways, serene lakes and much more at various state parks and natural areas throughout the Triangle. Some of our favorites include:
- William B. Umstead State Park in Cary (select trails under renovation – slated to reopen end of 2026)
- Ellerbee Creek Trail in Durham
- Eno River State Park in Durham (select trails currently closed for maintenance)
- Knightdale Station Park in Knightdale
- American Tobacco Trail in Durham
- Falls Lake State Recreation Area in Raleigh
- Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary
- Capital Area Greenway System in Raleigh
- Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Hillsborough
- Robertson Millpond Preserve in Wendell
- Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Wake and Chatham counties
- Carolina North Forest in Chapel Hill
- Lake Crabtree County Park in Raleigh
- Johnston Mill Nature Preserve in Chapel Hill
- Riverwalk in Hillsborough
Want to spend the whole day outdoors? Follow up your adventure with lunch or dinner out on the patio from one of our favorite eateries!
